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News in brief 13/05/16

bio-bean launches crowdfunding campaign for new Coffee Logs product

Coffee waste recycler bio-bean has launched a new product that it says is a greener option for barbecues, stoves and open fires.

Coffee Logs, biomass briquettes made from waste coffee grounds, will be manufactured at bio-bean’s Cambridgeshire recycling facility and can, the company says, be used in a wide range of different appliances.

Bio-bean works with coffee shops, office blocks, transport hubs, instant coffee factories, roasteries and waste management companies in the UK to collect up to 50,000 tonnes of waste coffee grounds a year and recycle them into a range of biofuel products.

The company has created a crowdfunding campaign through the Virgin #VOOM competition to help launch the product. Running until 23 May, a £20,000 target has been set for the campaign, of which over £13,500 has already been raised. Rewards for backing the campaign include pre­orders of Coffee Logs, an e­booklet with coffee­inspired recipes, VIP tickets to a range of events, and a behind­the­scenes tour of bio­bean’s coffee waste recycling factory.

bio-bean’s Founder and CEO, Arthur Kay, said: “For a lot of people coffee is what powers them through the day. Now, we want to get our buildings and BBQs fuelled sustainably. Starting at home, bio­bean Coffee Logs allow everyone to do that – your morning cup of coffee can heat your home, power your stove and even your BBQ.”

Veolia joins Covanta energy-from-waste project

Veolia has joined American energy firm Convanta to develop a large, controversial incinerator at Rookery South Pit in Bedfordshire.

First approved in 2011, the facility was challenged by a number of parties, including FCC Environment. The competing firm unsuccessfully appealed the Development Consent Order given to the development in 2013 due to its status as ‘nationally important infrastructure’.

The facility will require up to 480,000 municipal and commercial residual waste from the region. The companies say the facility will generate over 50MW of electricity, enough to power up to 65,000 homes, and create around 40 permanent roles including apprenticeships. The facility will be capable of generating combined heat and power, should a local heat network be set up, though in practice, this has rarely happened in the UK. Construction is expected to begin next year, with a planned operation date of 2020.

Celebrities join ‘Endless Lives of Glass’ campaign

The Friends of Glass group has launched a campaign to teach shoppers about the ‘Endless Lives of Glass’. Celebrities across Europe have joined the campaign to act as bottles and converse with shoppers about the ‘unique environmental assets’ of glass.

The ‘Endless Lives of Glass’ campaign is part of a three-year project to showcase the benefits of glass. Created by FEVE, the European container glass federation, Friends of Glass started in 2008 as an awareness campaign for glass packaging.

Actress Sally Phillips took part in the UK campaign, with others creating videos for France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. In the videos, shoppers are surprised by a talking bottle, which describes how it can be recycled, reshaped and redesigned into brand new bottles and jars.